Rise of the OtherGod Apostle: Not a Cult Leader, but a Serf?!

#066Reader Mode

#066

Of course, there are players who have switched sides and joined the Order! The Church of Order is always one step ahead, fully prepared for anything! The game was over before it even began! Order will always prevail!

…I thought this was supposed to be a more hopeful and uplifting story.

In reality, the Order had no idea what a player even was. The players themselves were completely unreliable. Security was a joke. And no one seemed to be doing anything about it.

To top it off, it’s been almost six months since I took over this body and joined the Order.

And they still haven’t figured out what a player is?

At this rate, all hell will break loose in the realm when the stars align.

Any confidence I had that things were going smoothly had completely crumbled.

Obviously, I’ll need to assess just how bad the situation has become…

…First, I need a moment to collect my thoughts though.

This isn’t some game where you can just reload after making the wrong choice.

I have to be careful about what I say.

There’s still so much I don’t know.

For now, I’ll focus on playing the role of Fabio, the ignorant serf.

Fabio was told that in his past life, he was a woman from a noble family.

So, what should ‘Fabio’ say? Vehemently deny it like it’s impossible? Act confused, like he has no idea what they’re talking about? Or admit he’s been having strange feelings all along?

“You seem confused,” the Saint observed.

…It’s already obvious that I’m flustered, so there must be a reason behind it.

I covered my mouth with my hand. “Well, it’s a strange feeling. I’m certain I don’t recognize that name, but just hearing it makes me feel uneasy…”

“There’s no need to force yourself to remember. Sometimes, forgetting can be a blessing.”

“…But didn’t you say I can’t escape that past? What happens if I remain ignorant?”

From the Saint’s perspective, if he doesn’t truly understand what players are and could only see the play log…

Happy War Evangelist, or rather ‘Fabio’, would just come across as someone who prays and dies over and over again.

It was only because Happy God was being a jerk, but…

It makes sense why the Saint would tell ‘Fabio’ that he could live.

He probably saw it as a pitiful girl who couldn’t be saved by the Order, so she turned to an Othergod for salvation.

The Saint seems excessively kind.

Even to a goblin though?

When I imagined a mistreated, pitiful girl instead of a goblin, the whole thing made a lot more sense.

…Will your expression instantly change to disappointment when you find out the truth about players later on?

Anyway.

Why did he choose to tell me about my past?

The Saint paused for a moment before speaking.

“At some point, you’ll feel a sense of incongruity. There will be many things you do unconsciously that ‘serf Fabio’ wouldn’t normally do. Where did those habits come from? When you start questioning that, if you knew absolutely nothing about your past, I thought you would feel even more anxious.”

Some of my actions weren’t very serf-like?

I thought I was putting in some effort…

Well, if a modern person were thrown into medieval times, they might actually seem like a noble from a distant land.

Being able to read quietly, enjoying baths, instinctively finding clothes rough, and reacting nonchalantly to foods that serfs could only dream of eating, etc.

Looking back, there were quite a few times when I didn’t act like a serf.

Now that I think about it, I naturally used a fork when eating.

Considering I was only used to wooden spoons while living as a serf, I should have hesitated or shown that I didn’t know how to use a fork when seeing it for the first time.

It’s wild to think that something as basic as a fork could be totally foreign, let alone chopsticks…

But in the Middle Ages, most people just ate with their hands.

I only realized my mistake when Elamin mentioned it took him weeks to get used to using a fork.

And then there was…

When was the last time Elamin looked at me with suspicion?

Was it when he suddenly grabbed my chin and asked what I thought someone’s intentions might be in a situation like that?

But that’s something a real serf wouldn’t know, right?

And how often would a serf witness miracles in their life?

It’s something only a noble born with divine lineage could instantly recognize.

Wait a sec…

Suddenly, it all clicked into place.

Elamin had asked me this:

What would you think if a man said he wanted to visit your room?

What intention might he have if he started groping or undressing you?

What if a man suddenly grabbed your chin, pulling your faces close enough for lips to touch?

And just now, the Saint brought up this seemingly random question while saying he had something important to tell me:

Fabio, are you aware that sexual relations between individuals of the same gender are possible?

The realization hit me like a slap to the back of the head.

…F*ck.

Why did I think homosexuality would be forbidden here?

Because homosexuals were horribly persecuted in the Middle Ages?

And because Dark Realm is pretty similar to medieval times?

But the fact that homosexuality was so harshly persecuted in the Middle Ages means it was actually pretty common. I mean, if no one was gay, why would they bother banning and punishing it?

Even in the Middle Ages, when it was so strictly prohibited and punished, homosexuality was everywhere. So, in the Dark Realm, where it wasn’t specifically banned by doctrine, it would totally be a thing.

… There would be gay people around, no question.

Suddenly, my face burned with embarrassment.

How embarrassing…

I felt like a total idiot for thinking the Middle Ages were some kind of barbaric wasteland. Turns out, I was the one who was seriously prejudiced.

In this world, being gay was normal and natural. Meanwhile, I was the one getting all worked up, thinking it was ‘weird’ and ‘unimaginable.’

If I had just stopped to think for a second, I would’ve realized my hang-ups were based on nothing but dumb, baseless stereotypes…

No wonder they treated me like some sheltered homeschool kid who’d been living under a rock.

The Saint probably decided he couldn’t leave me wallowing in ignorance after hearing my clueless, idiotic takes on same-sex relationships. He must’ve thought I was a hopeless case.

“…I just realized,” I finally said. “It’s completely normal for guys to date each other here, right? Even within the Cathedral?”

No wonder Elamin looked at me like, ‘What am I gonna do with this moron?’

It’s like if someone texted you “Hey, my parents aren’t home, wanna come over for ramen?” and you thought they literally just wanted to pig out on junk food without getting in trouble.¹T/N: ‘Wanna come over for ramen?’ is a euphemism that similar to Netflix and chill, IMAX and Climax, Prime and fun time, Crunchyroll and munch the hole, Hulu and Snusnu. Ya’ll get the point. Lol You’re not going over to their house to eat ramen.

“Yes, it doesn’t necessarily mean becoming lovers, but many priests do go on casual dates,” the Saint explained.

“So when he asked me to read the Doctrine together, could that have been…”

Was he trying to ask me out on a date?

I don’t get why he’d bother with a guy like me, though.

I guess when seeing even a big silverfish, they might think ‘Hey, maybe I can eat this’ and give it a shot…

“Ah, that phrase often means spending the night together intimately.”

“…Pardon me?”

So, ‘Reading the Doctrine together’ is a euphemism for hooking up? And that’s not blasphemous?!

I was completely shocked, but the Saint just kept going calmly.

“Hmm, allow me to explain. You see, most readers were formerly nobles who enjoyed many privileges before ordination. As a result, many feel miserable about their new, constrained situation.”

I couldn’t help but severely scrunch up my brow.

These spoiled bastards with silver spoons?

“Many seek to regain wealth and status by becoming a noble’s lover. Even without such ambitions, it’s common for some to simply indulge their own desires.”

So basically, a bunch of entitled bastards trying to socially climb their way back to the top.

I remembered Nasir expressing complete disdain for Readers before.

I really should’ve asked him more about that…

But if being a reader is such a sh*t show, why the heck did you tell me to sign up, Saint?

“Of course, since such nighttime activities are not a reader’s duty, there’s absolutely no need to engage in them. It’s just that many people are like that; it’s not actually part of the job requirements. I thought Casimir would have explained this to you…”

The Saint let out a weary sigh.

“What’s the point of wearing a blue fascia if you don’t understand its significance? Casimir was too careless.”

“…What does the blue Fascia mean?” I asked.

“Blue signifies devotion to one person whom you serve with your entire body and soul. So, usually just pointing to the fascia you wear is enough to convey refusal.”

…So, it’s like wearing a big ol’ ‘TAKEN’ sign around your chest?

But since I didn’t know that, I basically told that guy, ‘Oh yeah, I’m seeing someone, but they never said I couldn’t fool around, so…’

Wow.

I hate everything about this.

“Then, what does a garter with a name engraved on it mean?”

“…Who gave you the garter?”

“Casimir did.”

“Did she explain its meaning when she gave it to you?”

“She just said if I showed it to anyone bothering me, they’d stop…”

The Saint let out an exasperated sigh. “A garter is a sign of claimed ownership. It means that if someone other than the owner removes it, they are formally challenging them to a duel.”

“Pardon?”

“Of course, it’s not a legally binding contract like marriage, but challenging the garter’s owner to a duel over an intimate relationship is considered a valid reason under customary law.”

What the actual hell?

So this thing…was basically Casimir’s way of saying ‘HANDS OFF, THIS ONE’S MINE’?

If that was the case, she should’ve had the decency to explain it to me!

I knew something was off from the start. No matter how you looked at it, the whole situation was messed up and made no sense.

“Since few in this Cathedral could survive a duel with Casimir and keep their head attached… It must have been an effective deterrent,” the Saint added.

…You can actually behead someone in a duel?

So the weak just have to suffer in silence?

Even though they were supposed to represent the God of Order and Condemnation…

“It’s good that you understand now. I was worried you might not grasp the nuances.”

…….?

Do I really give off such clueless nerd vibes?

“Ah I even considered the possibility that a being beyond the stars had cursed you with an inability to comprehend, preventing any explanation from reaching you.”

An inability to comprehend…

So, they suspected I must be under some sort of curse, since I was being dumb about the situation.

Thinking back on how my words must have sounded to everyone else, I cringed in embarrassment.

It was like telling someone ‘You’re so hot!’ trying to say they looked overheated, only to later realize the other meaning.

Wait a second.

Putting aside Sereno and Elamin for a minute.

What was going through Ter’s mind when I said he could do anything to me?

I glanced over at Ter. He avoided my eyes, his cheeks slightly flushed.

“…I didn’t realize you took it that way,” I said, stunned.

So, this tartar sauce guy seriously took what I said in that way?

Suddenly my neck started to itch.

Then in that moment…

If Adna hadn’t busted in, were we about to exchange oral bacteria?

Wasn’t this bastard supposedly head over heels for Adna?

His heart was set on Adna, but he was down for a hookup with whoever?

“Are you disappointed in me…?”

Hell yeah I’m disappointed.

If you’re gonna be making moves like that, shouldn’t you be saving yourself too?

Even if a person with a charm stat in the 1000s had drugged you with an aphrodisiac and forced themselves on you, it would still be hard to forgive. But a giant dung beetle says ‘you can eat me’ and you just gobble it up without a second thought?

I’m so f*cking disappointed.